2010 NBA Eastern Conference Finals: Magic (#2) Vs. Celtics (#4)

so was shard

 

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Are you implying Perkins is a true center?

Howard is just awful against anyone that's strong enough to push him out past 5 feet from the basket.

 

I respectfully disagree.

Howard looks like trash out there because the team is hoping on him bailing them out like the regular season.

Howard is a defense first guy, and that's what centers are supposed to be. He is a huge defensive presence on the court.

If he can just focus on rebounding, blocking, setting screens, dunking when he gets an offensive rebound, and drawing the occasional double team, and let the other guys run their offense, the Magic will be a much much better team.

That being said, there's is no one else on the team that can run their offense. Nelson the the worst point guard they could've gotten. All I see is Dwight trying to get in position, 3 guys standing around the 3 point line, and Nelson over dribbling until the shot clock is down to 5 and somebody has to take a bad shot.

This is clearly not the Magics we saw last year or during the regular season. I remember last year's ECF, Dwight gave the Cavs so much trouble with all the high pick and rolls because no center on the Cavs was able to keep up with him.

 

Fair not, someone's getting fired in Orlando.

 

The finals MVP is usually handed to a player on the winning team... which will be LA.

 

Not if the Celtics keep this up.

 

Hedo was the perfect guy for them to run the P&R offense. Hedo was tall and precise in mid-range. In P&R, opposition center cannot give him space to shoot, Howard would roll immediately and Hedo was also tall and good at passing. Howard would get many opportunities against rotated smaller defenders just under the basket, or Hedo could pass to a 3pt shooter. That's their bread and butter and no team could fully cover that, even Lakers would rotate and count on Lee or RA missing open 3pt shots.

Now Carter is a better 1on1 player, but he has tunnel vision and isn't half the playmaker Hedo was. He isn't very good at hitting contested mid-range either. Magic traded for Carter thinking he's the better closer. But he's a choker instead and at this rate, there's no game to close at all.

 

funny though, from a statistical point of view, Hedo was actually a bit of a choker himself too

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/features/john_schuhmann/11/05/clutch.numbersgame/index.html

 

Ewing?

He makes Howard as predictable as he did with Yao vs Okur.

Its painful to re-watch his work happening again

 

Please Howard scored 30 points last game and they still lost. The difference in this series is not just Howard.

It's not like his supporting cast has helped. They all suck so no it's not just Howard.

 

Sounds like Yao's tenure with the Rockets. =P

 

1) The Celts are stacked for the short-term. KG and Pierce are still alive and kicking, and Rondo is running after DW and CP3 as the best pg in the league. That's 3 legit all stars vs basically just DH.

2) Howard can't do his usual superman stuff because Glen Davis like Yao Ming is the superman killer. Whereas Yao Ming is too tall for DH, GD is to heavy for Howard to handle. DH can't move him around and spends most of his energy just fighting for position.

3) Carter isn't what's killing them, it's Rashard Lewis. To call his performance Juwan Howardnesque is an insult to Juwan Howard. The dude is a defensive sieve and keeps on missing shot after shot. He doesn't stop taking them though, and the team suffers for it.

4) SVG refuses to play the Polish Hammer. His stat line is horrendous, however at this point IMHO he's way better than Rashard. At the very least KG and co. won't go through him like a hot knife through butter.

 

fixed

 

Jwill got embarrassed by Rondo bad...


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That one play was pretty much a microcosm of who wanted the game more. Pathetic from Williams and even more pathetic of a showing from the Magic.

 

JVG and Mark Jackson talking about the Magic just quitting it in Game 3 got me to appreciate our Rockets' heart much more.

Our Lakers series last year really defined our team character. This year, whenever our guys play bad and just want to hang their heads, we have guys like Scola and Lowry who bring the effort and will their teammates to claw their way back.

 

Agreed, especially after that 40 point loss, they came out the next game with heart, and the desire to win.

 

I missed last night's game but during the first two games I got the strong impression that JVG thinks the entire Magic squad is a bunch of bums (because they are). I'll bet there are some interesting conversations between him and SVG behind closed doors.

SVG is going to be fired after this series and rightfully so. I don't think he's a bad coach (although I don't think he is very good either) but he just isn't the right fit for this team. I'm not sure a different coach could get more out of a team of quitters but I'm certain SVG has lost them and they won't go anywhere but down from here with him as head coach.

 

I didn't think a player could get off the floor unless he maintained his dribble. Wouldn't this be a travel?

Someone chime in to correct me.